Spring Athletes Reap Benefits of Dynamic

This winter, while most of us were still asleep, Dynamic team members woke early to begin training in the MAC at 6:30 a.m. in preparation for their upcoming seasons.
The 44 members participating in Dynamic Training were athletes who play varsity sports in the fall and/or spring. The team was divided into two training groups due to high demand. Each group had two early-morning and two afternoon practices each week. SK Hurlock ’19, a new member this year, said, “It’s fun to have a group of people to work out with in the morning. It gives you energy and motivation, which is a great way to start off the day.”
This year, Dynamic welcomed Brodie Quinn ’10 as its new coach. Quinn was a Postgraduate at Hotchkiss who helped the football team reach the New England Championship finals for a second straight year.
He went on to play football and study exercise science at Springfield College in Massachusetts, later receiving his Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology at Florida State University. He then worked at the collegiate and professional level with Texas A&M Football and the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL, respectively.
Quinn likens the structure of the Dynamic training program to a pyramid. At the base is strength: how much weight can be moved by each athlete, particularly in the Back Squat and Bench Press. In the middle is power, measured by the rate at which the athlete can complete lifts with moderate weight. At the top of the pyramid is speed, which the team focused on in the second half of the season, in order to perform at their peak during spring pre-seasons.
As the season progressed, the number of reps went down as the weight went up. Kyle Roshankish ’20, a two-year member of Dynamic, said, “A lot of us put on a good amount of weight. Then [we worked on] cutting body fat to maximize our muscles for speed.”
Dynamic is intense and demanding, both physically and mentally. However, the hard work has paid off for many. Most athletes increased their speed and power, and everyone added substantial weight to their main lifts. Coach Quinn said, “[This process] is a microcosm of life, where these kids go in there and they are going to face challenges. Sometimes they fail, sometimes they succeed, but ultimately they are going to come back and try again and again until they succeed.”
Many players immediately saw carryover to their spring sport, validating all the hard work. Henry Emsweiler ’22, pitcher for Varsity Baseball, agrees, saying, “In Dynamic, I’ve become a stronger person, which makes it easier to compete with people who are 4-5 years older than me. [It helps me make] better contact [with the ball], hit harder and be able to throw [farther].”
Ryan Sellew ’21, an attackman on Boys Varsity Lacrosse, has also seen his production skyrocket, scoring more goals in his first two games than he scored all of last season. He is one of many success stories from this program. Sellew said, “I’ve seen significant progress from last season to this season, and the Dynamic Program has been a big part of that.”
Dynamic continues in the spring under Coach Mark Knapp P’19, who looks to prepare athletes for their summer and fall seasons.